Long Time Coming
by Evelyn0513
Summary: Every person deserves love at some point in time in their life, even if it's a long time coming.
1. Chapter 1

Characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to J.. I own nothing but the plot, the bar, and Peggy.

It was the start of a new year. Draco Malfoy sat in his den with a glass of whiskey, bringing in the new year all alone. He looked at the contents of the glass, swirling it around, and drank it all. He looked at the clock on the wall as it stuck midnight. "Well, Happy New Year to me!" He then looked at the empty glass in his hand and then threw it against the wall.

In a flat in Downtown London a party raged on. Hermione Granger sat in a chair watching all of her friends dance around. Everyone was far from sober, including Hermione. She watched on as her once boyfriend danced with his new love. The couple looked as if no one else was in the room. Hermione thought back bitterly to when he looked at her like that. She got up from the chair and made her way to the bar. She grabbed the first bottle she could get her hands on and walked out the door. As she strode down the street, bitter memories came flooding back.

_Hermione was at Hogwarts walking through the corridor. Her lover and herself were supposed to have met half a hour ago and he still hadn't shown up. As she was walking down the hallway she her muffled sounds coming from a near by corridor. As she got closer she heard a name that made her heart shatter. "Oh Seamus!" It was then that she ran down the corridor and out the front doors of the castle. She just kept running until anguish over came her and she collapsed on the ground._

She shook her head wanting the memories to disappear. She took a long drink from the bottle in her hand. Nothing like liquor to cure the broken hearted.

Draco Malfoy awoke the next day with no trace of a headache. When you drink enough all the time, it doesn't affect you anymore. He had just graduated Hogwarts about six months ago and still had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. His parents were dead, both killed in the final battle. He had changed his alliance at the last moment and fought on the side of good. He always knew that he didn't want to live a life like his parents had set out for him. He was determined to become his own person and prove it to wizarding world. He had enough money that he didn't have to work but he wanted some kind of purpose in his life. He got up, showered, and dressed in search of something, anything, to take his mind off of how little meaning his life had now.

Hermione Granger rolled out of bed and looked at the clock on the wall. "Shit! I'm going to be late for work!" She worked at a local pub until she could get into the healer program. She missed the application process because of the depression she slipped into after discovering Seamus' little affair. She hurridly got up, bathed, and dressed. She applied her makeup, adding a little drama to her eyes. Her hair was curled and fell in waves around her shoulders. She grabbed her keys and was out the door.

The pub she worked at was just down the street from her flat. It wasn't what you would call classy by no means. It was mostly filled with young people who were just looking to have a good time no matter how much alcohol it took to do so. She walked around behind the bar and got started on making drinks. People were shouting at her, requesting all different kinds of shots. She had a certain talent when it came to being a bartender and was the best one at the bar. "Hermione! You're late again! I told you to be on time or I was going to have to fire you!" The owner of the bar was now screaming at her. "Okay Peggy, it won't happen again." Satisfied with the answer, she left her alone to do her work.

Draco had walked for what seemed like hours trying to find a job. He was tired and just wanted a drink. He saw a bar and decided to check it out. He noticed there was also a help wanted sign on the door. He had never tended bar before but he thought he would give it a shot. When he walked through the doors, he could barely move due to all the bodies swaying in a drunken stupor. He finally made it to the bar. He walked up the bar and noticed the bartender's back was too him. "Excuse me, I notcied the sign out on the door that you guys might be hiring. I was wondering if I could speak with the owner or manager." Hermione knew the sound of that drawl. She turned around her suspicions were confirmed. "Well, look here. Draco Malfoy looking for a job among the normal folk. Never thought I'd see the day." "Granger, please don't give me grief. I know I was an asshole in school and I know that I will never make up for that but I'm just trying to get my life straight." Hermione knew that he had changed sides in the final battle and figured she could as least be civil. She was at work after all. "Well, the owner is right over there, the one with the dirty blonde hair and blue shirt. Her name is Peggy." Draco thanked Hermione and walked over to where Peggy was sitting.

"Excuse me, my name is Draco Malfoy and I was just inquiring about the sign you have posted outside looking for help." Peggy looked the young man up and down. He certain had the look to work her. The girls would eat him alive. She figured it wouldn't hurt to let him try it out for tonight. "Well Draco, why don't you go hop behind the bar with Hermione and see how you do. We will talk later."

Draco hadn't the first clue how to make anything past a rum and coke. People were calling names of drinks like 'Sex with an Alligator' and "Blow Job'. He was beginning to notice that most of the shots had something to do with sex. He laughed a little. Hermione saw him standing there, chuckling. "Hey Malfoy! What's so funny? Would youl ike to start to work or just stand there and look pretty?" This made him laugh even more. He walked ver to where Hermione was standing and asked if he could help. She rattled off a list of drinks and he set off to make them. He figured out the vodka and cranberry, whiskey and ginger ale, and Stoli on the rocks pretty easily. He then noticed a drink called 'Vampire Juice' on the list. He didn't have the first clue. "Granger, I need a little help down here. What in the hell is this drink?" "That drink is the signature drink of this bar created by yours truely. It's got equal parts of Malibu, Barcardi Limon, and blue curaco then topped with orange juice." Hermione was making the drink as she was telling him. "It should look like this when it's done." Hermione held a glass up that was swirls of blue and green.

After a few more hours the bar was closing. Hermione was exhausted having to pick up Malfoy's slack all night but he did pretty good having never done it before. Peggy walked up to Hermione and asked to talk to her. She wanted to know how Draco had done. "He did pretty good, just got to learn his drinks." Peggy smiled, "Well, he's got the job then."

Hermione walked back in the bar to see it spotless. Draco had cleaned the entire bar and restocked everything. "Thanks Malfoy. I could have done it. By the way, you got the job for now." Draco smiled and thanked her. Hermione realized that they should have a drink to wind down. She brought a bottle of Crown Royal and two shot glasses over to where he was sitting. She poured two shots and slid one over to Malfoy. They both picked up the glasses and clicnked them together stating "Cheers!" at the same time then slamming the shot. About an hour later and bottle of Crown, Hermione and Malfoy stumbled out of the bar. Hermione handed him a sack filled with money. "I almost forgot to give you your split of the tips tonight." Draco looked in the bag and realized that there must be like 60 galleons in the sack (about 300 £) . He was amazed that in only 3 hours he had made that much money. "And just think Malfoy, tonight wasn't a busy night."

With that she walked off in the direction of her flat, leaving a tipsy Malfoy standing in the street.


	2. Chapter 2

Characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to J.. I own nothing but the plot, the bar, and Peggy.

The next few days went along without any hitches. Draco was finally getting the hang of the whole bartending thing. He could actually enjoy his job now. He began to talk to customers and soon new what the regulars drank. He really couldn't prepare himself for what was going to happen today when he got to work. He noticed when he got there that Granger still wasn't there. She hadn't ever been late yet. He got the bar set up and was about to open the doors when a frazzled Hermione came running through them. "I'm so sorry that I'm late. I had just had some things to deal with." Draco eyed her, wondering what could have upset her so badly. He didn't want to push the issue so he just let it go. He figured that maybe he'd bring it up after work.

The night went on without a hitch until almost closing time. Draco was washing up some glasses when the door opened. He looked up and saw Seamus Finnigan walk through the door. He started looking around the bar. Draco remembered back to school and thought that he had heard Hermione was dating the guy. Seamus walked up the bar not really paying Malfoy much mind. "I'll take a firewhiskey please." Draco poured the glass and sat it down in front of him. Seamus finally turned to see no other than Draco Malfoy looking back at him. "When did you start working here Malfoy?" "About a week ago why?" "Hermione didn't mention that to me today when we talked." Malfoy got to thinking, maybe that's why she was upset, a lover's fight?

About that time Hermione rounded the bar and turned red with fury instantly. "What the hell do you think you are doing here Seamus? I told you not to bother me anymore. You ended it and here you sit trying to come back to me. Like it will happen. You thought the grass was greener on the other side? Well, go back to your damn cow and get the hell out here!" Seamus begin to yell back at Hermione calling her names no man should ever call a woman. She reached over and picked up the nearest glass and threw the contents in his face. "You little bitch!" Seamus proceeded to reach across the bar trying to grab Hermione. He made it only so far before a fist smashed into his face. "You'll pay for that one Malfoy! Just watch!" "Hit me now. Shit ain't hard!" Peggy noticed all of the commotion and went to see what it was about. When she reached the bar she noticed a guy bleeding on her bar, Hermione so red she thought she might explode, and Draco with a handful of the bleeding guys shirt. "IN THE NAME OF MERLIN, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Hermione told Peggy about the whole situation at hand. Peggy told Seamus to get out and never come back. She stormed muttering something about "asshole men".

The rest of the evening was spent in silence as the two cleaned up the bar. After they were all they locked up and left. Draco wanted to ask Hermione if she was okay but he didn't really think she would actually believe him to be sincere. Hermione spoke, drawing him out of his thoughts. "Thanks for standing up for me tonight. It means a lot to me. Usually Harry or Ron always rescue me. It was a nice change." She smiled up at Malfoy who returned her smile. "Well Granger, I'm hungry. Want to get something to eat and hit a bar for a drink?" "Sure why not?"

They went to little cafe and ate. There wasn't much conversation but it wasn't uncomfortable. After that they decided to hit the club. It was the best one in town, but was also a Muggle club. They walked in and headed straight for the bar. After they got their drinks, they found a little table against the wall and sat down. For about an hour, the both of them just drank and people watched. Hermione finally had enough alcohol in her system that she felt like dancing. She looked over at Draco and asked "Wanna dance?" "Sure." They both got up and made their way to the dance floor. The music switched from a rap to song to 'Change' by The Deftones. Hermione loved this song. She began to dance and Malfoy just stared at her. He never knew she had it in her to dance like this. She was grinding her hips and throwing her hair back and forth. After the song was done she looked up and saw Draco standing there with his mouth wide open. She began to laugh and said "Just because I was a good little girl in school doesn't mean I don't know how to dance." Malfoy got an idea then. "Well, prove it to me. Dance with me this time." Hermione thought for a second but the liquor won. "Okay!" The beat dropped and so did Hermione's hips. She began grinding them into Draco's. Malfoy returned and they danced the entire song like they were the only ones there.

After the song had ended the both looked at each other and smiled. The went and got another drink and just talked for the rest of the night. When last call was called at one thirty in the morning they decided to leave. They really weren't in the mood to end the night so they deicded to head to Draco's to continue having a good time since they didn't have to work the next day. After they got to the house and got settled in, Draco put on some music and poured them both a glass of whiskey. They just talked for awhile. Hermione noticed that they had the same taste in music when 'It's Been Awhile' by Staind came on. "I wouldn't really figure you for a guy that would listen to Muggle rock." "There's a lot of things you don't know about me Granger." "Well enlighten me then." Draco told her all of his favorites from food to season. He told her it was her turn she told him all about her.

Draco was still really curious about what had went down at the bar tonight so he decided he'd ask. "What was going on between you and Finnigan today?" Hermione just looked up at him and he feel the air grow tense. Hermione was sure that everyone knew he had cheated on her but she guessed she was wrong. "He cheated on me when we were at Hogwarts. He's still friends with Harry and Ron so I have to endure him every so often. I guess his flavor of the week dumped him and he decided to come see me. I guess he had hopes that I would take him back. That's why I was late today." Draco just looked at her, kind of sorry he had asked her about it. The mood had changed so he tried to get the mood back to where it was. "So Miss Granger, let's forget about that asshole and get back to what we were doing. You still haven't told me your favorite band and song." "Well Mister Malfoy, I happen to a big fan of Seether and my favorite song is 'Fine Again'."

Draco got to thinking and he excused himself. He ran up to his room and grabbed his Fender and come back to the living room. "I didn't know you played Malfoy." "I try to play. Any requests?" "Just play something." Draco began to strum the opening bars to 'Outside' by Staind. When it came time, he began to sing as well. Hermione was amazed at his voice and couldn't believe he had this much talent. She just sat there in awe of him as he poured his heart and soul into the song. When he finished and looked up, Hermione was just smiling at him. "That was so amazing Malfoy. Where did you learn to play and sing like that?" "When you spend yor summers alone trapped in a house you find ways to kill the time. Plus it helped me channel a lot of my anger towards my parents." "You should play at the bar some night. Let's bring it up to Peggy!" "Okay but I'm really not that good."

They just hung out for a few hours, Draco played some more, and Hermione couldn't get over how goodhe actually was. It was almost five in the morning and Hermione was getting pretty tired. She really didn't feel like going home this late. She just wanted to curl up where she was and go to sleep. Draco noticed her eyes getting heavy. "Why don't you just sleep here tonight Granger? I have a spare room you can stay in and I can give you some clothes to sleep in." Hermione was having a really hard time trying to get use to the fact Draco Malfoy, King of Slytherin, Sex god of Hogwarts, could actually be a decent human. She brushed the thoughts aside and thanked him. He walked upstairs and motioned for her to follow. He showed her where the bathroom was and the guest room. He went to his room and got a pair of pj pants and a shirt and handed them to Hermione. She changed and went to the room he had shown her. She was about to crawl into bed and thought she should thank again. She knocked on his door and he opened it. He was standing there in just his boxers. Hermione eyed him up and down then blushed a shade of crimson. "I just wanted to thank you one more time for letting me stay." "No problem Hermione."

With that, Hermione Granger walked back to the guest room and fell asleep with thoughts of a certain half naked man.


	3. Chapter 3

Characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to J.. The lyrics belong to the awesome band **Staind** and the song _Rooster_ belongs to **Alice in Chains**. I own nothing but the plot, the bar, and Peggy.

The next day Hermione woke up around one in the afternoon. She got up and with a flick of her wand had changed the sheets on the bed and made it. She left a note for him. She didn't want to disturb Malfoy so she just apparated back to her flat. Upon arrving, she got a shower and got ready for the day. She wanted to go down and talk to Peggy about having some live entertainment. She thought it might help attract another crowd to the bar. When she got there she just walked into Peggy's office. "Hey Peggy, I was wondering if you would be open to some ideas about the pub?" "Depends on what it is." Hermione told Peggy about Malfoy's ablilty to play and sing and Peggy thought it was a wonderful idea. She also was going to put an add in The Daily Prophet for any talent. Satisfied Hermione apparated to Harry and Ginny's to see what they were up to.

When Draco woke up around two in the afternoon, he had a smile on his face. He had never had such a good time with anyone before. He was actually enjoying someone's company other than for selfish reasons (you know what I'm talking about). He got up and ready for the day and went to check to see if Hermione was still sleeping. When he knocked, there was no answer. He opened the door to see the bed made and a piece of paper on the bed. He picked up the note and began to read:

_Malfoy,_

_Thank you for allowing me to stay here last night. I was just too tired to go home. I'm going to talk to Peggy about you preforming at the pub. I hope that it is okay with you. Anyways, see you tomorrow at work._

He really didn't mind that she had asked Peggy. He would never let her know that he was deathly afraid of preforming in front of lots of people. A Malfoy never shows their fear, even if he's trying to change. There's just certain things that people can't change about themselves.

When Hermione arrived at Harry and Ginny's place, she could smell lunch cooking. She walked towards the kitchen, hoping that they both remembered that she was coming to lunch today. "Hermione! I thought you weren't going to come! You've stood me up already this month." "Well, Darling Harry, that would because you invited other people that I tend to associate with anymore, like cheating bastards!" Ginny walked into the kitchen at that point. "Well, speaking of the cheating bastard, he told me that Malfoy was working at the pub with you. How's that going? He still the same git he was in school?" spoke Ginny. "Not really. He seems to want people to think he's changed for the better and I really think he might have. Still too early to tell." With that, they all sat down and begin to eat lunch.

When Hermione got home there was a letter waiting for her:

_Granger,_

_Thanks for talking with Peggy for me. I can't wait to preform tomorrow night. Peggy said that I was doing a couple of songs throughout the night. I've my play list all put together. Well, I'll see you at work tomorrow._

She tossed the letter aside and got ready for bed. When she awoke the day, she got up and got ready for work. She picked out a pair of cutoff shorts, a black wife beater with a hot pink cami under it, and a pair of black Nike Shox. She made her hair straight with a flick of her wand. She then applied her makeup, making her eyes smokey, cheeks pink, and blood red lips. She was then ready for work. She grabbed her keys and head to work. When she got to the pub, there was sign that announced that they now had live entertainment. When she opened the door, she was floored. The entire place was flip flopped around. There was a stage to left that took up a good portion of the wall. The bar was on the opposite side, running the entire length of the bar. In between the stage and bar was a dance floor/walkway with tables more towards the door. There was an archway that led into even more seating and the restrooms. The entire decor looked more like concert venue than a pub. Hermione jumped and screamed when someone came up behind her and asked her how she liked it.

"Malfoy, did you do all of this?" "Yeah, Peggy said she wanted a change so I just went around and made it look how I wanted. She loves it. What do you think about it?" "I really like it. It reminds me of some muggle bar in Key West." "Oh well, seeing as I have no idea what or where that is, shall we get started on opening up?" They both walked over to the bar and got everything set up for the night from granishes to ice. It only took the about three flicks of their wands and 20 mins time and they were done. Draco went to the stage and started walking around. "Hey Malfoy, how about to play something for Peggy and I before we open?" Hermione walked back to the office to get Peggy. He had just finished tuning his guitar when the two returned. He switched on the amp and the mic and began to play. Hermione just watched as he lost himself in the music.

Peggy started screaming like a school girl when Draco was finished. Hermione clapped and went to unlock the doors cause it was time to open. There were some people outside waiting to come in. When she opened the door they asked her when the entertainment started. Hermione said that it would all night with breaks that the DJ would cover. She walked behind the bar and got to work. By 7 o'clock, the bar was in full swing. There was body after body pressed up against each other. Everyone was loving Draco's preformance and were crying for encores when he took breaks. A group of people walked through the door. Harry, Ginny, Ron, Lavender, and Luna were walking towards the bar. "Hey guys! You come to visit me at work?" Ginny was the first to respond, "We were making sure you were okay working with Malfoy and all. We were just going to stop by and head out but I think I want to stay. How about it?" Everyone agreed to it and they took a place at the bar seeing as everyone was still crowded around the stage waiting for Draco to return. It was about time for his next set to begin. When he walked on stage, the girls in the front screamed like he was some rock god. Hermione just laughed. "What is he doing Mione? He is acting he is the entertainment?" "He is Ron. He's actually got some talent. I was at his house the another night..." "You were where? I thought you just said "his house" as in Draco fucking Malfoy. Don't you remember what he did to us at Hogwarts? The hell he put us through?" "I really think he's changed for the good Ron. He did fight on our side in the final battle." "I don't like this idea on bit Mione." "Ronald, we are adults now. Let's stop ou childish ways and see people for who they are now." "Okay, but I still don't like it." Hermione just laughed at her friend. Poor Lavender would never hear the end of this tonight. Hermione poured all of her friends drinks and then got back to work.

When Draco got on stage, he was starting to feel like a rockstar. He had girls screaming his name and people cheering for encores. He was loving every second of it. When he got back on stage he looked over to the bar and noticed that Hermione's friends had to visit her. He could see Weasley turning red, no doubt at the fact that Draco was in the same bar as his best friend. He then looked at Hermione and felt like he could call her friend now. "I would like to dedicate this next song to my new found friend, Miss Hermione Granger. Thanks for giving me a chance."

This is my life

Its not what it was before

All these feelings I've shared

And these are my dreams

That I'd never lived before

Somebody shake me

Cause I, I must be sleeping

Now that we're here,

It's so far away

All the struggle we thought was in vain

All the mistakes,

One life contained

They all finally start to go away

Now that we're here its so far away

And I feel like I can face the day

I can forgive and I'm not ashamed to be the person that I am today

These are my words

That I've never said before

I think I'm doing ok

And this is the smile

That I've never shown before

Somebody shake me

Cause I, I must be sleeping

Now that we're here,

It's so far away

All the struggle we thought was in vain

All the mistakes,

One life contained

They all finally start to go away

Now that we're here its so far away

And I feel like I can face the day

I can forgive and I'm not ashamed to be the person that I am today

I'm so afraid of waking

Please don't shake me

Afraid of waking

Please don't shake me

Now that we're here,

It's so far away

All the struggle we thought was in vain

All the mistakes,

One life contained

They all finally start to go away

Now that we're here its so far away

And I feel like I can face the day

I can forgive and I'm not ashamed to be the person that I am today

Hermione listened to the words of the song and was touched by what they said. When he was finished with the song, he winked at her. This made Ron go insane. He kept on ranting but Hermione was paying him no mind. She was too busy blushing seeing as people were now coming to get drinks from the bar. Everyone was say "how sweet Draco must be". She really didn't know how to respond to all it. So just smiled and handed people their drinks. When she had a spare minute, she grabbed a bottle of Crown and two shot glasses and went towards the stage. Draco was in the middle of a song but Hermione didn't care. She walked up on stage and poured two shots and handed one to Draco. The crowd was cheering at this point in time. They did the shots and then Draco hugged Hermione. She froze. She hadn't really expected it. Draco felt her stiffen so he let her go. She realized this and pulled him in to a hug. The whole crowd said "Aww" at the same time.

Hermione got down off stage and went back behind the bar. Harry, Ginny, Lavender, and Luna weren't really ones to hold grudges. They figured if their Mione thought he was a decent human being, then that was good enough for them. Ron took one look at her and walked out of the bar. Hermione was little sad to see that he was so upset over the whole thing. "I think you guys should make sure he doesn't punch a wall and break his hand again." Everyone said their goodbyes and left.

Hermione was busy cleaning up the bar when she heard her name. "Hey, bring that bottle and glasses back up." She didn't get it but did it none the less. Draco announced that it was shot time and told everyone to raise their glasses. He poured Hermione and himself a shot and raised his glass. Everyone screamed "Cheers", clinked glasses, and downed their drinks. "It's time to close everyone but I hope you all enjoyed the show and I hope to see you here tomorrow night. This is the last song of the night. It's called ''Rooster."

When it was all said and done Peggy was singing their praises. "This place has never been that packed. This was an awesome idea!" Hermione and Draco just smiled at her and then at each other. They cleaned the bar up quickly and left for the night. "I'm starving. Are you?" Draco asked Hermione. "Yeah, let's go get something." They went to the same little place as last time. They ate and talked the entire time. Hermione was being to really enjoy hanging out with him. He wasn't the same snobby arse he was in school. When they got, Draco payed for both of them even though Hermione fought him on it. They walked towards Hermione's place because she only lived a couple of blocks from the bar. When the got to her flat, Draco bid her goodnight and bent down and kissed her cheek.

He walked away leaving a very confused Hermione on her doorstep.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Anything Harry Potter belongs to JKR. I own nothing but the plot

A/N: I know that this story is very OOC. And I know they drink a lot but working in bar it tends to happen. They aren't alcoholics though. Just wanted to clear that up! Thank you for taking the time read my story. Please review! Tell me how I could improve besides deleting the whole thing! Thank you for all the people did review last time!

* * *

It had been about a month since the live entertainment had started at the bar. Hermione couldn't believe how many people it brought to the bar. She was making bank every night she worked and didn't really mind going to work anymore. Though she denied it to most of her friends, it was partly due to Draco. They had become friends and loved to hang out with each other. They acted like they had been friends for years. No one could have looked at the two and knew that they were once mortal enemies. Hermione knew that it would soon be Draco's birthday. She was planning a huge party for him at the bar.

Draco couldn't believe that someone as wonderful as Hermione would actually give a second chance. He was truly happy for the first time in his life. He had a wonderful friend and enjoyed his job. He never thought that he would ever have anything other than friends that mere shells of a person. He had loved every second of the past weeks. He did however notice a slight change in Hermione. She was always sneaking off to talk with Peggy or telling him that they couldn't hang out because she was busy. He figured that she was studying for her entrance exam for Healer school. He was wrong.

It was the day of Malfoy's birthday, finally. All of the planning had really been worth it. The place looked amazing. Hermione had enlarged the stage seeing as she got three of Draco's favorite bands to come play; Seether, Breaking Benjamin, and Staind. The entire room was filled with blue, silver, white, and black decorations. It looked amazing.

Draco called Hermione to see if she wanted to do anything tonight for his birthday. When she picked up the phone, she told him that she was busy and would have to catch up with him later. He hung up and just sat on the couch. He couldn't believe that she was blowing him off on his birthday. His one true friend didn't even want to spend time with him. Draco stared into the fire until he heard a noise behind him. "Hey Birthday Boy! Want to go get dressed? It's time to get our party on!" Draco turned around to see Hermione in a pair of dark wash blue jeans, a black and silver corset, and black heels. Her hair was curled inta cascade of waves down her back. He makeup was simple. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was beautiful. "Hermione! I thought you were blowing me off." "It takes time to get pretty Malfoy. Us mere mortals can't wake up looking as good as you do. Now hurry up!" Draco ran upstairs and got ready as quick as he could. He put on a blue and white button up shirt, faded jeans, and Timberlands. "Where are we going?" "It's a surprise!" With that, they apparated into the back of the bar. When they walked out of the back, Draco couldn't believe his eyes. The entire bar was decorated and signs hung that said "Happy Birthday Draco!" all over the bar. People screamed and cheered when he walked in.

Everyone was telling Draco "Happy Birthday!" as the walked through the crowd. Down front was what looked like VIP area set up. It was fully stocked with all of his favorite foods, snacks, and drinks. He was amazed that Hermione could pull something like this off. He turned around and gave her a huge hug. She leaned up and whispered in his ear, "And just think, this isn't all." "What else could there be? A cake?" "Well, yes, but something else." While they were talking, Draco's back had been to the stage. He was too into everything else around him to notice that the stage was set up. He heard the opening to "No Jesus Christ" by Seether and turned around. He got his own private concert for his birthday. When the song was over, everyone cheered. The lead singer wished Draco a happy birthday and the concert continued. He was just so floored that someone would do this for him. He looked over at Hermione. She was enjoying the show, rocking out. When Seether finished their set, he thought it was over. He turned to hug her again but she just shook her head. The curtains on the stage closed. Hermione told him that she would be right back. When she returned she had a tray full of shots, 18 to be exact. "So Malfoy, seeing as it's your 18th birthday, here's 18 shots instead of spankings. Unless of course, you want those too." She winked at him. "How about I do 9 of them and get 9 spankings? I think I like that idea." They both just laughed.

Soon enough the curtains opened back up with Staind taking the stage. Hermione was enjoying watching Draco have fun more than the show. He felt her watching him. He turned and smiled the biggest smile ever at her. She felt her heart start beat faster. Soon Staind left the stage and the curtains closed. The DJ began playing a mix of Top 40. Everyone was dancing. Hermione and Draco were walking around talking to people. A few mins later she bgan to drag him back to his table. "What are you doing?" I was talking to people." "Just wait." Soon he heard Breaking Benjamin. They were amazing on stage. When it came to the last song, everyone erupted into to cheers. The band began to play "Breath". About half way through the song, Draco turned to Hermione. He was looking at the most beautiful person he had ever known. She turned to look at him. He leaned in and placed a soft, delicate kiss on her lips. He pulled away and looked down at her. She was smiling up at him. She reached and placed a hand on his cheek. She stood up on her tippy toes and kissed him. Soon the room disappeared and they were alone, just the two of them. When they finally came back to reality, Peggy was standing there. "I knew this would happen. Draco, Happy Birthday honey!" "Thank you Peggy. And thank you for helping Hermione throw me an awesome party." "All I did was let her use the bar, everything else was her." He turned to Hermione. A slight blush was creeping up her face. He picked her up in a hug and spun her around.

They just danced, talk, and drank for the rest of the night. At around 11, Hermione told Draco that she needed to go use the restroom. All of the lights in the bar shut off. It was complete darkness, except for the glow of candles on a cake rolling towards Draco. Everyone began to sing "Happy Birthday" to him. When they were done, he made his wish and blew all of the candles out. "Well Birthday Boy, what did you wish for?" "I can't tell you until it comes true." "I hope it comes true soon. I hate secrets."

The party ended and everyone went home. The only people left in the bar were Hermione and Draco. They were sitting at the bar. Draco thanked Hermione about every 5 seconds for the party. It was by far the best birthday he had ever had. "So Malfoy, do you want your present?" "You got me a present too? Like this all wasn't enough?"

Hermione went around behind the bar and pulled out a package. She handed it to Draco. He unwrapped it. Inside was a bottle of Crown and two shot glasses. "I thought you would like something that reminds you of good times." "I love it! Let's drink!"

They soon called it a night and left the bar. Draco wanted Hermione to come to his house but thought she would say no. "Hey Draco, can I come to your place tonight? No one should be alone on their birthday?" "Sure!"

With that they apparated to Draco's house to continue his birthday celebration.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. The characters and the wizarding world belong to J.K.R. The lyrics belong to Nickelback.

After the party was over and everyone had decided to go home, Draco asked Hermione if she was ready to head out. She told him yes and the disapparated to Draco's home. He still couldn't believe that someone would do something so nice for him even if they didn't share the past that Hermione and he held. He just sat there looking at the witch curled up on the couch with him watching a film.

"Are you going to stare at me all night? I'm trying to watch this movie. This is where it gets good. Satine makes Christian think she doesn't love him." Draco looked puzzled, "How does that make it a good part? Wouldn't that make it sad?" "Well, I guess, but I tend to like the angst of it all. Really makes the end that much better. And I'll surely cry so get ready for that." Draco just rolled his eyes. All he wanted was for a sad Hermione crying on his shoulder after watching some musical about a whore house.

He endured the whole movie just to make her happy, even though it was his birthday. Her smile was all he needed to make him happy. After her tears had stopped, she looked over at Draco. "I look like hell now don't I?" Draco just smiled. "No you look like you've been run over but I still think you're beautiful." She beamed at his comment. No one, sans her parents, had ever told her that she was beautiful. Hermione crawled over to where Draco was sitting and curled up against him. She had closed herself off since the "event" with Seamus. She felt at total ease when she was around Draco. It was almost like everything just made sense in the world.

"Well, I'm getting kind of sleepy Hermione. Want to head upstairs?" "Sure, am I staying in the same room as last time?" Draco nodded his head. When they reached the stairs Hermione leaned up and gave Draco a peck on the cheek and whispered "Happy Birthday" once more in his ear. He wrapped his around her and told her that he loved it and it was by far the best thing anyone had done for him. With that, the told each other goodnight and went into the respective rooms.

With a jolt, Hermione was awoken from her peaceful dream land by booming thunder and flashes of lightening that made the outside world look like a rave. She at there and listened to the rain pounding against the glass panes of the window. Suddenly, a very loud boom of thunder rolled, so loud it shook the contents of the room she was in. Quickly she jumped from bed and ran to Draco's room. She knocked on the door and a few seconds later it opened. A sleepy eyed Draco stood looking at her.

"What's wrong Hermione?" He tried to stifle a yawn that escaped his lips. "The storm outside is really loud and I'm sort of afraid." He cocked an eyebrow at her. The woman before him faced Voldemort countless times but a thunder storm frightened her. "Well, do you want to go the sitting room or the kitchen?" "I was hoping I could come lay with you, if that was alright? I'm still tired but I'm just afraid of the storm."

Draco opened his door wider and motioned for her to come in. She went and crawled in the bed, Draco followed her actions. "Thank you Draco. I promise to stay on this side of the bed." "Well too bad because I was hoping you would ravish me. You probably just used the storm as way to get in my bed. I've seen that look in your eyes countless time." Suddenly a pillow hit him upside the head. "You are such a little prick Malfoy." Draco began to giggle at seeing her slightly frazzled at his comment.

True to what she said, she stayed on her side all night and Malfoy his. Hermione awoke first the next morning around 10 o'clock. She looked over at the peaceful sleeping of Draco. She crawled out of bed and went to the guest room. She decided to floo home and get ready for the day. She had to be to work by 6 o'clock.

After spending some time cleaning house, it was time to get ready for work. After stepping out of the steaming shower, Hermione used a spell to dry her and make it straight. She applied her makeup in a sort of Marilyn Monroe style. Her outfit was black long sleeved v-neck shirt and tight light wash blue jeans. With her trusty Nikes on her feet, she was out the door as to not be late.

When she arrived at the bar, all of the decorations from last night were gone and the bar was back to normal. She got everything ready and setup for the night. Shortly before 7, Draco walked in with his guitar. He set it on the stage and walked over to the bar. "Thanks for not saying anything when you left this morning." Hermione just rolled her eyes. "You looked to peaceful to awake." Draco walked around behind the bar and grabbed himself a drink. Hermione watched as he made his way to the stage and got ready for the evening. After tuning his guitar and getting his amps and mic all where he wanted them, he started warming up. He was running scales and chords then he started to play a song that Hermione knew very well. It was the song she listened to late at night when the war was going on. The song brought her comfort in the world of turmoil she lived in.

_From underneath the trees, we watch the sky__  
__Confusing stars for satellites__  
__I never dreamed that you'd be mine__  
__But here we are, we're here tonight___

_Singing Amen, I, I'm alive__  
__Singing Amen, I, I'm alive___

_If everyone cared and nobody cried__  
__If everyone loved and nobody lied__  
__If everyone shared and swallowed their pride__  
__Then we'd see the day when nobody died___

_And I'm singing___

_Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive__  
__Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive___

_And in the air the fireflies__  
__Our only light in paradise__  
__We'll show the world they were wrong__  
__And teach them all to sing along___

_Singing Amen, I, I'm alive__  
__Singing Amen, I, I'm alive__  
__(I'm alive)___

_If everyone cared and nobody cried__  
__If everyone loved and nobody lied__  
__If everyone shared and swallowed their pride__  
__Then we'd see the day when nobody died_

_If everyone cared and nobody cried__  
__If everyone loved and nobody lied__  
__If everyone shared and swallowed their pride__  
__Then we'd see the day when nobody died___

_And as we lie beneath the stars__  
__We realize how small we are__  
__If they could love like you and me__  
__Imagine what the world could be___

_If everyone cared and nobody cried__  
__If everyone loved and nobody lied__  
__If everyone shared and swallowed their pride__  
__Then we'd see the day when nobody died__  
__When nobody died...___

_If everyone cared and nobody cried__  
__If everyone loved and nobody lied__  
__If everyone shared and swallowed their pride__  
__Then we'd see the day when nobody died___

_We'd see the day, we'd see the day__  
__When nobody died__  
__We'd see the day, we'd see the day__  
__When nobody died__  
__We'd see the day when nobody died_

When Draco finished the song, he looked over at Hermione who had tears running down her face. After setting his guitar down, he walked over to her. "What's wrong love?" Hermione sniffled, "That was the song that I listened to almost every night during the war. It brings back memories. Sorry." Draco leaned in and gave her a hug and waited for her sniffles to stop before letting go. Hermione waved her wand over face to fix her makeup. "You're beautiful. I hope you know that." She just scoffed and walked around behind the bar. "Better get ready Mister Rock 'n' Roll. We open in a few." "So you don't think you're beautiful?" "No Draco I don't, it isn't worth discussing either." "I think it is." "Well, we can later then." "No, we can now. Why don't you?" "Because, no one has ever made any inclination towards the topic at hand. Please just drop it and get ready." "Fine, I'll get ready but I'm not dropping this."

A few hours later the bar was starting to get crowded. Hermione was pouring liquor as fast as she could and that was saying something. As soon as the DJ stopped playing and Draco got on stage the bar top was deserted_. Finally a break_! Hermione grabbed a glass of crown and ginger and sat on the back bar. The crowd was chanting Draco's name. He had become a mini celebrity in this shithole of a bar. He stood on stage smirking like always. He loved every bit of this attention. He did a few songs then the DJ started back up. By the end of the night Draco's voice was hoarse and Hermione was about to fall over. It was the busiest night yet.

They closed up, cleaned up, and decided to go back to Hermione's place to hang out. After getting cleaned up themselves Draco decided to figure out why she didn't think she was beautiful. "I hope you don't think that I have forgotten about a little conversation from earlier." Hermione just groaned. She did not want to discuss her insecurities tonight. She trusted Draco with the information but she just didn't want to make him privy to it. She knew he wasn't going to drop it so she put on her fuck it attitude and launched into her story.

_Seamus and Hermione sat on a couch in the common room. A fire gently glowing, casting shadows around the room. Hermione curled up closer to her boyfriend. She loved the way his arms felt around her. She snuggled into his neck, breathing in his scent. "Seamus, do you think I'm beautiful?" "I think you're pretty love." Hermione was confused and somewhat hurt. "What do mean pretty? I asked if I was beautiful." "I know and I gave you an honest answer without giving a negative answer. I don't think you're beautiful. I think you're pretty." Hermione got up and walked to her common room. Little did she know that her place on the couch wasn't even cold when some other girl was curled up on Seamus._

When Hermione finished her story she just looked at Draco. "That's why I don't think I'm beautiful. Pretty is a better suited word for me." Draco shook his head, "that's where you're wrong. You are beyond beautiful. You take my breath away when I look at you. I see every man's head snap when you walk by. Girls look at you with envy." "The girls are jealous because I'm your friend." "Is that all you want to be Hermione? Just friends? I want something more. I want to be able to make you believe that you are, in fact, the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." "What are you hinting at Draco?" "I want you to be mine and I yours. I want us to see where we can take this relationship on the next level." "And that would be?" Hermione knew exactly what he was going on about but she wanted him to ask. "Hermione, will you do me the honors of being able to call the most beautiful woman I ever seen my girlfriend?"

Hermione smiled at him and leaned in a kissed him. "I'll take that as a yes!" They curled up together on the couch and soon fell fast asleep, both with smiles on their faces.

A/N: I am very sorry to anybody that actually reads and enjoys this story. I've had a lot of things happen in my life and have not had it in to write anything. I hope you all enjoy this. Sorry if it's horrible! Much love!


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